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BBCLos Angeles firefighters are battling multiple fires in the city’s suburbs as tens of thousands of residents are forced to evacuate.
Santa Ana winds and very dry conditions add to the rapidly changing situation. Currently, authorities say there is no way to control some of the fires.
The Palisades fire, the closest to the coast and also the largest, has torn through the picturesque neighborhood where many Hollywood stars live. More than 1,000 buildings have already been destroyed.
Here’s how the fires have spread and how they’re affecting the Los Angeles area.
Overview of current fires
Seven fires are currently being fought.
The Palisades The fire first broke out at 10:30 a.m. (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, and grew from a 20-hectare fire to more than 200 hectares in 20 minutes, and was approaching 16,000 hectares by Wednesday night. So far at least 30,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes.
The Eaton the fire covered 1,000 hectares in the first six hours. It started in Altadena in the hills above Pasadena on Tuesday around 6:30 p.m. By Wednesday night, five deaths were reported and it had spread to more than 10,000 hectares.
The Hurst the fire is north of San Fernando. It started burning on Tuesday around 10:10 p.m. local time, reaching 850 hectares, according to local authorities. It has caused evacuation orders in the neighborhood of Santa Clarita.
The Woodley The Woodley Park fire broke out at approximately 6:15 a.m. Wednesday. The LAFD says it has now been closed.
A olives The fire broke out in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, and was burning about 11 acres, although it has now been contained.
The Lydia The fire broke out around 2:00 p.m. Wednesday in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles, covering nearly 350 acres. After 21:00, 40% was occupied.
The sunset The fire broke out around 6:00 p.m. in the Hollywood Hills, a residential neighborhood overlooking the city’s historic Hollywood area. Today it covers about 50 hectares and is 0% owned. A mandatory evacuation order is in effect.
How did the Palisades fire spread?
The map above shows how quickly the Palisades fire spread, increasing in just a few hours. As of 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, it was 772 hectares in size and within four hours, it had expanded to its current size.
Thousands of people have had to be evacuated as more than 1,400 firefighters try to fight the fire.
How does the Palisades fire compare to New York and London?
To give you an idea of the size of the Palisades fire, we’ve overlaid it on maps of New York and London.
As you can see, it is comparable in size to the central area of the UK capital, or the greater areas of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
How they see fires from space
Another indication of the size of the Palisades fire comes from NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Images taken Tuesday show a large plume of smoke drifting out to sea from California.
The aftermath of the Eaton fire
The Palisades fire is not the only one that has had a devastating effect on the suburbs of Los Angeles.
The images above show the Pasadena Jewish Temple before and during the Eaton fire.
The Jewish Temple and Center’s website says it has been in use since 1941 and has a congregation of more than 400 families.
